Ratings & Reactions: Leicester v Villa

[stewiek2]

We're gone. Best start planning for that championship. And that means a manager who doesn't ship goals like it's a waterfall. Works in the championship Dean but the premiership that gets you an ass whipping unless you can attack the opposition, have a structure of play, discipline in position etc. Has to go. His background staff have to go. Suso has to go. We need structure and this season has show we have no structure whatsoever. The league cup has saved THEM ALL. It's been poor and getting worse for months. Time to plan properly now

[TRO]

13 minutes ago, stewiek2 said:

We're gone. Best start planning for that championship. And that means a manager who doesn't ship goals like it's a waterfall. Works in the championship Dean but the premiership that gets you an ass whipping unless you can attack the opposition, have a structure of play, discipline in position etc. Has to go. His background staff have to go. Suso has to go. We need structure and this season has show we have no structure whatsoever. The league cup has saved THEM ALL. It's been poor and getting worse for months. Time to plan properly now

afraid so.

[AVFCforever1991]

5 hours ago, smg said:

And what happens when the quality is injured ? We need both but that takes time, if we hadn’t driven out those players in the past that are now performing far better than our current squad around Europe and the Premier league we might actually be building a squad that could cope with the premier league. Sadly most want instant success.

You have people like trez and AEG on the bench to fill in, that's what happens..

[romavillan]

7 hours ago, TRO said:

The tragedy is john, we have been saying this from early season, nothing has changed, in fact its got gradually worse....we have just been sleep walking in to this, in the name of stability.

OR the problem isn't Smith, the problem is we're taking a banana to a gun fight.

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

 

[VillaFaninLondon]

Damning stats when the bluenoses, not even midtable in the Championship, gave Leicester a better game than we did: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51707663

 

It really is embarrassing and I'm offended that there is no talk of Smith going after another awful performance against a team that hadn't even scored a goal in three games in the league. I'm starting to really doubt the owners now and if they actually have a clue what they're doing. 

Edited March 10, 2020 by VillaFaninLondon

[ferguson1]

10 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Our trouble is midfield - Luiz is decent and will be a Premier league player, but he's just a kid and he's both inconsistent and naive - in the absence of McGinn he's our best central midfielder and he's absolutely nowhere near being ready to drag a midfield through a relegation battle - behind him Nakamba can do a limited role pretty well, but we need a better midfield to let him play that role - Hourihane isn't a Premier league player, Lansbury might not be a Championship player - behind those there's nothing= Drinkwater? Don't make me laugh! We can move Grealish into central midfield but we can't give him the support he needs to succeed there. 

One reasonable Premier league midfielder, one promising kid, one who can only do one job and two lumps of nothing at all. There's no combination of those players that gives you a chance of winning games at this level.

Jose Bruce Lee Pepklopp couldn't do anything about that.

Had come on this morning to post something similar.  We do obviously have issues with defending, especially from set plays, but our midfield is our biggest issue and has been all season.  OBE is spot on.  

Whether we play two or three across the middle of the park we struggle and allow the opposition to dictate the game. When you look at the highlighted names above you can see why.  

Fully accept that we’re going down now., as we’re just not going to obtain the points required.  

[VillaCas]

10 hours ago, TRO said:

I am really not sure that holds much water....Our second best player was 2.75 mill.

we paid about 85 mill for 6 players....guilbert, target, nakamba, luiz, el ghazi and trez.

I think we could have done better,......to split it equally as some suggest ,is misleading imo....I think the 2 reserve full backs are no worse than the selected ones....thats 20 mill

if we sold the £130 mill batch we would possibly lose a great deal of money.

it doesn't appear to be working, really.

Then I don’t think you’ve understood the point - the argument was that we’d signed quantity over quality - my response was that As we had only a handful of PL ready(?) players we needed 15 more for £130m - that amount doesn’t guarantee quality

Could we have spent it better? With hindsight of course we could, although most here were (very) happy with our business before the season began.
 

In truth I don’t think that we are (were?) that far from the gamble paying off - for me it turns on the signing of Wesley, who for me was a very poor buy and the injury to McGinn - which if one or both were different would I think make the difference between success and failure - if we could hang on this season I was expecting 3 or 4 £40m players to lift the quality 

I’m pretty resigned to going down and hopefully returning in 2021 with a squad better equipped and not needing such major surgery
 

 

[Okonokos]

3 hours ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said:

 

CORRUPTION! Pure and simple. Absolute f****** disgrace.

[newhavenhibby]

Feel for you guys.

Caught the second half last night and it did not make good viewing  .  Cannot believe the amount of space behind the fullbacks given to Leicester on the counter. This is down to poor coaching as in the modern game the fullbacks do / have to get forward........but to leave half the pitch open behind them? Leicesters game plan with Jack was to kick him in the air ( on a rotational basis of course ) as they realised he was the one player who would show fight and passion  but again was nullified last night.  Most of the rest just seemed to be going through the motions. Midfield, out-muscled on nearly every 50 / 50 ball. 

How many of these players are on long term contracts ?  Whats the compensation going to be for Smith and Terry?  

If the owners are thinking of anybody in particular to replace Smith then they should get the wheels in motion . If not and then they will have to persevere with him till the end of the season but I doubt survival is possible based on that showing. Have to re group in the Championship hopefully with a manager who knows how to coach the modern game and can instill some fight and passion. 

'mon Villa

[TheMelvillan]

11 hours ago, Laughable Chimp said:

I'm starting to think our deficiencies are mental mostly. We have stretches in games where we play great, and then due to some event or another become shit. That doesn't happen if our players are just shit.

nah its physical too. last night, to a man we were weaker, slower and tired quicker than all of their players. Cold hard fact is you get what you pay for. would kill for an enforcer like Ndidi in our midfield - he looked like he was playing against kids

[Mjvilla]

I don't understand people saying "Mings gave the ref a decision to make". What he did was perfectly legal, and a good clearance. I spent a large part of my footballing life as a defender, and I was always told 'get anything on it', obviously as long as it's legal. Mings has done just that. He hasn't "given the ref a decision to make" because there is NO decision to make. 

We would still have lost, but watching VAR **** is again is so disheartening. Very, very quickly losing love with this game. I think I'll enjoy it next season in the championship more and hopefully get my love back.

[TRO]

6 hours ago, romavillan said:

OR the problem isn't Smith, the problem is we're taking a banana to a gun fight.

you can't say Smith isn't the problem any more than I can say he is......its his job the make the players better,as individuals and subsequently collectivelly, thats what good managers do

We all have our suspicions, but we don't know enough, of behind the scenes to be sure.

but I will say this Dean said after the game, we tried to be " hard to beat", something I have been banging on about all season......If that was hard to beat, I am a monkeys uncle......that was easy peasy to beat.

The opposition for the umteenth time closed us down and denied us passing the ball to render us a shambles, we had no idea how to counter that..... we in contrast, was no where near them when they had the ball and invited them to play. The gaps between us was alarming at times.

That alone is whats taking us down....we simply don't compete for the ball with any competency.....we run around and chase shadows and do a bit of shadow boxing, but we don't lay a glove on the opponent, sorry for using boxing terms.....we are powder puff in everything we do.....and that has been condoned, because it has happened far too many times, not to be.

Now you can speculate as much as you like where the blame lies....but that situation has got incrementally worse game by game all season....we are worse now than in the early part of the season and the issues have increased like the corona virus.....We are cooked.

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by TRO

[TRO]

1 hour ago, Mjvilla said:

I don't understand people saying "Mings gave the ref a decision to make". What he did was perfectly legal, and a good clearance. I spent a large part of my footballing life as a defender, and I was always told 'get anything on it', obviously as long as it's legal. Mings has done just that. He hasn't "given the ref a decision to make" because there is NO decision to make. 

We would still have lost, but watching VAR **** is again is so disheartening. Very, very quickly losing love with this game. I think I'll enjoy it next season in the championship more and hopefully get my love back.

• I agree.....How that was HAND ball is beyond me.....at one time it was from the elbow up, IIRC.....and the rules are the rules , but that, no not for me.
• However the push by Hourihane of Maddison was far more of a pen, i think we got away with that.
• As much as I am ****ed off with Reina, He was totally exposed with defending from a full back, I have no words to describe, should have been hooked.....no excuse for the red mist once gain, but that full back play is lower leagues.

[TRO]

2 hours ago, newhavenhibby said:

Feel for you guys.

Caught the second half last night and it did not make good viewing  .  Cannot believe the amount of space behind the fullbacks given to Leicester on the counter. This is down to poor coaching as in the modern game the fullbacks do / have to get forward........but to leave half the pitch open behind them? Leicesters game plan with Jack was to kick him in the air ( on a rotational basis of course ) as they realised he was the one player who would show fight and passion  but again was nullified last night.  Most of the rest just seemed to be going through the motions. Midfield, out-muscled on nearly every 50 / 50 ball. 

How many of these players are on long term contracts ?  Whats the compensation going to be for Smith and Terry?  

If the owners are thinking of anybody in particular to replace Smith then they should get the wheels in motion . If not and then they will have to persevere with him till the end of the season but I doubt survival is possible based on that showing. Have to re group in the Championship hopefully with a manager who knows how to coach the modern game and can instill some fight and passion. 

'mon Villa

the crime is......its not the first time, its just been left to fester.

I too think, if a decision is to be made it should be now, not at the end of the season....its too late and too many issues to reverse this.....a new voice may have a flicker of light.

[Graham t]

Any manager who thinks Wesley, Drinkwater and Hourihane are premier league footballers is in the wrong job......

ATB,

VLD.

P.S. You could lump in any of our 'defenders' into that category as well....

[TRO]

3 hours ago, VillaCas said:

Then I don’t think you’ve understood the point - the argument was that we’d signed quantity over quality - my response was that As we had only a handful of PL ready(?) players we needed 15 more for £130m - that amount doesn’t guarantee quality

Could we have spent it better? With hindsight of course we could, although most here were (very) happy with our business before the season began.
 

In truth I don’t think that we are (were?) that far from the gamble paying off - for me it turns on the signing of Wesley, who for me was a very poor buy and the injury to McGinn - which if one or both were different would I think make the difference between success and failure - if we could hang on this season I was expecting 3 or 4 £40m players to lift the quality 

I’m pretty resigned to going down and hopefully returning in 2021 with a squad better equipped and not needing such major surgery
 

 

yeah, I did.

We did sign quantity over quality, but my point was the argument in my opinion is not conclusive..... We didn't spend too much....we spent too much on players, we can't get a tune out of.

There are modest signings around that we could have picked up and subsequently spent a bit more in key area's.....but its down to talent spotting too....that is the key.

most us was happy with the signings trying to be positive and giving them a chance, which is natural......but time has proved otherwise.

Spurs are experiencing a problem with Tanguy Ndombele, having forked out c 60 mill.....In contrast Wilder and Dyche have picked up bargains and tuned them in to merchantable quality for what they do.

Big money, does not always guarantee success.

Edited March 10, 2020 by TRO

[TRO]

2 hours ago, TheMelvillan said:

nah its physical too. last night, to a man we were weaker, slower and tired quicker than all of their players. Cold hard fact is you get what you pay for. would kill for an enforcer like Ndidi in our midfield - he looked like he was playing against kids

Thats what Nakamba was supposed to be.....but he is not.

[TRO]

5 hours ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

Damning stats when the bluenoses, not even midtable in the Championship, gave Leicester a better game than we did: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51707663

 

It really is embarrassing and I'm offended that there is no talk of Smith going after another awful performance against a team that hadn't even scored a goal in three games in the league. I'm starting to really doubt the owners now and if they actually have a clue what they're doing. 

If he is going to go, I hope its now.....we have seen enough, without any hope of it changing.

I sincerely hope, that we don't go 10 games without a win and then sack him, because that is not leadership for me.

I too think we will go now.....and a new manager, will have 10 games to acclimatise himself for next season.....thats being " Prepared"

[TRO]

14 hours ago, AVFCforever1991 said:

I don't understand what we needed to do, ideally we needed both I guess, we seemed to just settled for quantity? Because clearly the quality isn't there.

I guess we always do.....because we are always turning players over as not good enough.

Its the same old pattern...rinse & repeat.

We just do not seem to have the ability to make players we buy, better.....how many are worse now, than when we bought them.

This trend has got worse in the last 10 years.